By Anietie anii-bassey
President Donald Trump announced Friday that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a three-day ceasefire and a large-scale prisoner exchange, raising cautious hopes for the first significant diplomatic breakthrough in the war since Russia’s full-scale invasion began more than four years ago.
Trump said the temporary truce would run from Saturday through Monday and would include a halt to all combat operations as well as the exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side. The announcement came after weeks of renewed international pressure for negotiations and amid growing signs of exhaustion from both Moscow and Kyiv after years of devastating warfare.
The Republican president described the agreement as a potentially historic step that could begin moving the conflict toward a broader resolution.
“I am pleased to announce that there will be a THREE DAY CEASEFIRE (May 9th, 10th, and 11th) in the War between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump wrote on social media Friday. “Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War.”
Trump said he made the request for the ceasefire directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to Trump, both leaders agreed to pause military operations during the three-day period, which coincides with Russia’s Victory Day celebrations commemorating the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
Victory Day, observed annually on May 9, is one of Russia’s most important national holidays and traditionally features a massive military parade in Moscow’s Red Square attended by senior political and military officials.
Trump noted that while the holiday is central to Russian national identity, Ukraine also played a major role in World War II and suffered immense losses during the conflict.
“The Celebration in Russia is for Victory Day but, likewise, in Ukraine, because they were also a big part and factor of World War II,” Trump said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later confirmed the agreement and said Kyiv had accepted the ceasefire in part to secure the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war, an issue that has become one of the country’s most emotionally charged wartime priorities.
“Red Square matters less to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners of war who can be brought home,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.
The Ukrainian leader emphasized that returning prisoners remained a critical national objective and said his government had already instructed officials to prepare immediately for the exchange process.
Zelenskyy also issued a formal presidential decree temporarily declaring Moscow’s Red Square off-limits for Ukrainian military strikes during the ceasefire period. The unusual announcement appeared carefully calibrated both as a gesture tied to the truce and as a reminder that Ukraine maintains the capability to strike deep inside Russian territory, including the capital.
The ceasefire announcement marked a notable shift after previous short-lived attempts to halt fighting collapsed almost immediately.
Russia had announced its own ceasefire earlier this week for Friday and Saturday, but clashes continued within hours, with both sides accusing each other of violating the agreement. Earlier in the week, a unilateral ceasefire proposed by Ukraine similarly disintegrated amid continued shelling and drone attacks.
Despite the fragile nature of past truces, the latest agreement appeared more significant because it was tied to direct U.S.-mediated negotiations and included a major prisoner exchange.
According to Trump, the ceasefire would involve a complete suspension of “kinetic activity” during the three-day period. Neither side immediately released detailed operational terms, and there was no immediate public statement from Putin or the Kremlin following Trump’s announcement.
The lack of an official Russian response left some uncertainty surrounding the durability and scope of the agreement. Nevertheless, diplomats and analysts viewed the coordinated announcements from Washington and Kyiv as an indication that at least limited backchannel negotiations have intensified in recent days.
Zelenskyy thanked Trump and U.S. officials for their diplomatic involvement, saying the agreement had been achieved through an American-mediated process.
“We are counting on the United States to ensure that Russia fulfills its commitments,” Zelenskyy said.
The ceasefire comes at a critical moment in the war, which began in February 2022 and has since become Europe’s largest land conflict since World War II. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed or wounded, entire cities have been devastated and millions of Ukrainians displaced.
Fighting has remained intense across eastern and southern Ukraine in recent months, even as front lines have shifted only marginally. Both Russia and Ukraine have increasingly relied on drone warfare, missile strikes and long-range attacks targeting energy infrastructure and military logistics.
Trump has repeatedly vowed to end the conflict, though his public messaging on the war has at times fluctuated sharply. During the presidential campaign and after returning to office, he alternated between promising rapid peace negotiations and expressing frustration with both Moscow and Kyiv.
At various points, Trump suggested the war could end quickly through direct diplomacy, while at other times he implied the two sides might ultimately have to continue fighting without U.S. intervention.
Friday’s announcement appeared to reflect renewed White House efforts to position the United States as the central mediator in the conflict.
The agreement also came only hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a far more pessimistic assessment of ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Speaking to reporters at the conclusion of a visit to Rome and the Vatican, Rubio acknowledged that negotiations aimed at ending the war had so far failed to produce meaningful progress.
“While we’re prepared to play whatever role we can to bring it to a peaceful diplomatic resolution, unfortunately right now, those efforts have stagnated,” Rubio said. “But we always stand ready if those circumstances change.”
The contrast between Rubio’s cautious remarks and Trump’s optimistic announcement underscored the uncertainty still surrounding prospects for a broader settlement.
International observers remain skeptical that a short ceasefire alone could meaningfully alter the trajectory of the war, particularly after multiple previous truces collapsed within hours. Still, the inclusion of a large prisoner exchange and the direct involvement of Washington have raised hopes that the temporary halt in fighting could serve as a foundation for deeper negotiations.
Analysts say the coming days will be critical in determining whether the ceasefire holds and whether both sides are genuinely prepared to explore a more lasting diplomatic path.
For Ukraine, the agreement offers a chance to secure the return of hundreds of captured soldiers and civilians while demonstrating openness to diplomacy without making territorial concessions. For Russia, the pause could provide political symbolism during Victory Day celebrations while testing the possibility of broader negotiations under U.S. mediation.
Whether the ceasefire becomes merely another brief interruption in a grinding war or the first meaningful step toward ending the conflict may depend on what happens once the guns fall silent this weekend.
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